Wednesday, December 19, 2007

They ask, "How could 80-20 get away with fighting the leading presidential candidates and yet succeed in getting our grievances addressed by the same candidates?"

80-20's secret is knowing what an election is about in America.

New immigrants often mistakenly believe an election is ONLY about voting for the best candidate. However, that's not all there's to it.

The American Forefathers meant for elections to assure democracy. That is, during the election time, even the "weak and powerless" such as the Asian Americans, who are mostly new immigrants not knowing much about politics and not having the money* to hire lobbyists in Washington D.C., can still make politicians sit up and listen to their grievances.

Each adult Asian American has a vote just like he/she who is among the "richest and mightiest." If there is a grievance that most Asian Ams resonate with**, we can deliver a bloc vote. Politicians pay attention to even a small minority such as the Asian Americans that have proven to be capable of delivering a bloc vote.

That is what 80-20 is all about -- to organize our community so that our grievances will be heard during the election time and in that process help make America "a more perfect Union."

But more importantly, that is what elections in America are all about -- giving the ordinary people a chance to have their grievances addressed by the political establishment. If some of the presidential candidates show that they don't share our concerns, then 80-20 PAC*** will lead a bloc vote to defeat such candidates. The real world of politics is just like the real world we see in our workplaces. Its proper functioning depends on carrots and sticks.

* Actually there are many very rich Asian Americans. However, owing to their lack of interest or understanding of Am. politics, they have mostly shied away from politics or been extremely ineffective. I wish more will soon step up to shoulder their social responsibilities.

** The issue that has hit the resonant cord of a large majority of Asian Americans is their lack of equal opportunity in workplaces and, if qualified, to be Federal judges. Fortunately, most prominent Democratic presidential candidates have already made iron clad commitment to helpAsian Americans achieve equal opportunity, except one -- Senator Obama. Is he too inexperienced to know that equal opportunity is America's core value?